Temperatures could hit 100 in Hunterdon, Somerset on Saturday; JCP&L reports no power problems due to heat

It’s hot today, but it will be even hotter tomorrow, with Saturday afternoon highs of 100 possible in the Flemington area and 101 in and around Somerville. An Excessive Heat Watch was issued by the National Weather Service for Saturday afternoon and evening.

Heat Index values are predicted to reach as high as 105 degrees in some parts of New Jersey later Saturday. The index, sometimes called the apparent temperature, is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored with the actual air temperature.

In the meantime, it was 85 degrees at 1 p.m. Friday in Pittstown, 87 in Pequest (Warren County), 90 at Somerset Airport in Bedminister (Somerset County) and 91 at Newark Airport. Temperatures are forecast to continue rising the rest of the afternoon, peaking at 92 or 93 in much of Hunterdon and Somerset, reaching a little higher in the cities.

“Conditions are normal on our system. PJM (the regional power pool) has not asked us to ask customers to conserve energy,” he reported around noon today.

PJM is a regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia.

According to Morano, typically JCP&L asks customers to reduce usage if it has to make emergency repairs at a substation , or if PJM “says we’re having issues. Neither has happened.”

At this point, the company is not expecting a problem providing sufficient power on Saturday, which is predicted to be the hottest day of this heat wave. There’s less overall demand for electricity on weekends, because offices and businesses — such as factories that consume a large amount of power — are often closed.

Hot weather and high humidity combined increase the danger of heat-related illnesses, especially for the elderly, infirm and the very young, the weather service noted.

“Pets also are susceptible to the heat,” so try to keep them comfortable. If possible, reduce your afternoon outdoor activities, spending time in air-conditioned rooms,” NWS suggested.